Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to St. Petersburg, Russia for participation in the summit of the EEU member countries’ prime ministers is thought to be unconstitutional, the paper says, citing the amended Constitution which gives the prime minister of Armenia the status of the country’s top leader (vesting him with the power to attend only presidential summits).

The paper claims that the vice prime minister was supposed to take part in the summit instead of the premier. A Foreign Ministry representative whom the paper recently contacted for comments cited political motives behind such a decision, dismissing legal justifications.

“With such an invitation-instruction, Russia is practically seeking to highlight its advantages in all matters,” the source said, noting that the Council of the EEU Prime Ministers had been earlier informed of First Deputy Premier Ararat Mirzoyan scheduled attendance at the summit.

Mirzoyan had announced his decision to participate in the meeting at the previous prime ministerial summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, according to the paper.

The same source also reportedly said that Armenia essentially weakened its positions at the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) after Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov, a former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia (appointed to his current office in May 2017), was summoned to interrogation by the Special Investigative Service of Armenia on Thursday.

Khachaturov, who was head of the Yerevan Garrison in the period of the March 2008 post-electoral turmoil, is involved as a witness in the criminal case investigating tragic incident that left eight people dead in the capital city in the wake of violent clashes with the police.

Also on Thursday, the second president of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, was summoned to interrogation. In an official statement released hours later, the Special Investigative Service said that they had brought criminal charges against the former president and submitted a motion requesting his detention.